In work leading up to the present invention, the inventors sought to develop fodder and forage legumes which improve the productivity of livestock animals, in particular ruminant livestock animals that are grazed thereon. By protecting protein from microbial degradation in the rumen, the inventors considered that the availability of protein from soft legume leaf cells to the livestock animal could be increased, thereby enhancing live-weight gains, wool growth and milk production. Increased post-rumen protein supply, was thus expected by the inventors to significantly enhance the efficiency of pasture use.
Pasture bloat is a serious risk for cattle grazing on forage legumes. Bloat often results in loss of livestock, and productivity may also be reduced considerably by the stress of sub-lethal bloat. The fear of bloat and the required vigilance also has a negative impact on dairy farmers lifestyle.
Bloat is a major constraint on dairy farm profitability. The cost of bloat also impacts significantly on beef production.
Because of high nutritive value, white clover and lucerne are used extensively in the dairy industry. It is estimated that white clover is potentially worth at least AUD412 million to the Australian dairy industry. Bloat was identified as a major constraint on the realization of this economic potential, costing the Australian agricultural sector alone AUD184 million per annum. There is a clear need in the dairy industry for the production of bloat-safe lucerne and white clover crops.